Cheshire's Story
by FrozenIceCreamCookies
Summary: Jefferson's hat isn't the only way to escape Wonderland, and no one knows this little piece of information better than the Cheshire himself! Posing as Charles Katz in the cursed town of Storybrook, Cheshire gives us an insight on what it's like to be one of the three aware of the curse's existence. Rated T because almost everything I do ends up as T anyway. . .
1. More ways to escape Wonderland

A cloaked figure ran past the trees, desperate in her rush. Upon reaching a large, empty clearing, she paused. For a few moments, she merely glanced around, suspicion clouding her gaze. Had Rumpelstiltskin tricked her?

A low, dangerous chuckle echoed from the trees, followed by an unnerving purr of delight. She unsheathed her sword, holding it up with a trembling grip.

''Show yourself, _Cheshire_!'' she spat, as though the word was bile on her tongue. The chuckle came again, closer as if he were right behind her.

''Turn around, kitten, or you wont be able to _see_ me.'' Her lips twisted into a disgusted sneer, yet she complied, sheathing her sword. The silver furred Cheshire's head floating aimlessly before her, grinning deviously. Her eyes narrowed, and she shook her head.

''All of you, Cheshire.'' she snapped. The cat smirked, and nodded.

''As you wish.'' Slowly his torso and lower body began to appear. ''The Dark One sent you, am I right?'' he demanded, disappearing and reappearing in a tree branch next to her head. She nodded.

''Yes. I made a deal for him to tell me where you would be.'' she muttered. The greedy Cheshire grinned his signature grin, until he was nothing but exactly that.

''Now tell me, just what did you promise ol' Rump Roast?'' he purred. ''Not your first-born child, I should hope.'' She shook her head.

''No. Not that.'' she murmured. Cheshire frowned, appearing on her shoulder.

''Then _what_?'' She allowed her cloak to fall to her ankles.

Cheshire's strange sea green eyes widened and glimmered in horror. ''Puss, what have you done to your tail?''

~ # ~

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Charles' hand came down on the blasted alarm clock, a low growl escaping his lips. 7:30 was all it had to show for its self, and he sighed. He sat up and glared at the clock, running a hand through his salt-and-pepper hair and wishing that the damned thing would implode with the force of his glare. Sadly, it didn't, and he huffed.

''Blasted alarm, disturbing my slumber...'' he muttered, his words accompanied with a tired yawn.

After a good thirty minutes of morning preparation, crashing into things sleepily and a new bruise on his forehead, Charles left his house and practically flew to Headphones, his small music shop.

''It's Friday...'' he mumbled to himself as he almost tripped on the welcome mat.

He spent a few good hours in his shop, but there was barely any business. There never was early in the morning. Usually when school lets out is when teenagers start to flood in, looking for new music to play at weekend parties.

The hours spent alone in the shop aren't wasted. He got to work on shelving new music, while listening to the shuffle on his iPod, which was plugged into a radio on the front desk. After he was done shelving, he sat at the front desk with his music, still tired from having to wake up early in the morning.

Soon it would be lunchtime, but he was falling asleep quickly. Just as he was about to drift off into dreamland, the front door slammed open.

''GOLD GETS ALL THEM BI-''

Charles quickly changed the song and turns up the volume to drown out the curse word.

The loud young girl who had entered his shop whilst belting out the lyrics to a made up song about Mr. Gold receiving several women was Katrina Smith, an eighteen year old girl with dark green eyes and flaming red hair who was just about to finish high school.

The song caught her attention, and she grinned, dancing up to the front desk with a large envelope in hand.

''Let me guess,'' began Charles. ''You're picking up rent for Mr. Gold again.''

Katrina shrugged casually, holding the envelope open for him to drop another, smaller one inside. He did so.

''What can I say? The big boss wants his moo-lah.'' she said, waggling her eyebrows in a suggestive way.

Charles snorted in amusement. ''Of course.'' he agreed.

~ # ~

Rumpelstiltskin did not like to be in another man's debt. Or, better said, another cat's debt. Although his power could not match Rumpelstiltskin's, the Cheshire Cat was still a force to be reckoned with. Rumpelstiltskin knew this.

So as the Evil Queen demanded his price, he thought about it carefully. After making his self-serving request, he added,

''AND... I want the Cheshire Cat to have the same privileges.'' He grinned impishly. ''If it's not too much trouble, dearie.'' Regina paused, then shrugged. What harm could it do to her? It's not like the disappearing-reappearing feline could do anything about the curse, so she nodded.

''Fine.'' And with that, she took her leave.

Rumpelstiltskin knew that he was safe.

_Rumpelstiltskin is **still** a coward!_, though the Cheshire as he watched from the shadows, whiskers twitching with amusement.

''Happy now, Cheshire?'' Rumpelstiltskin demanded.

Cheshire purred, appearing on top of the Dark One's head. ''Certainly, dearest Rump Roast!'' he declared, making Rumpelstiltskin want to rip off his tail, just as he did with the Puss in Boots.

But he refrained himself from doing so. If Cheshire found out that the tail-less Puss was Rumpelstiltskin's doing, he would claw the Dark One's eyes out.

'' 'Tis so lucky for you, I thought I would have to use you as cat food.''


	2. Heartless Beast

''Charlie! HEY! HEY CHARLIE! HEE-''

''WHAT?!''

''Hi.''

''...'' Charles hated when Katrina came over sometimes. He had originally thought that she was there to pick up the rent and nothing more.

It turned out that she also wanted to chit-chat with him. Sadly for Charles, Katrina's version of chit-chatting should really be called 'being-an-annoying-teenaged-girl-who-will-not-shut -up-and-leave'.

If _that'_s too much, you should _really_ see her extended version.

Charles looked at the clock. His mental excuse was that in a few minutes, business would be booming and he couldn't have Katrina here talking his ear off...

But he knew that he was lying to himself. So gently, but not gently enough, he interrupted her incessant babbling. ''Don't you have to give that rent to Mr. Gold?'' Katrina's eyes widened in horror and realization.

''Oh _CRAP_-IN-A-HAT! I'll be back _laters_, babe cakes!'' she called out as she exited the shop. Charles waited until she had at least crossed the street, and jumped for joy.

''_Yesssss_!'' He pumped up the volume of his iPod and started jumping around and dancing as the song blared on.

_The sun goes down, the stars come out_

_And all that counts is here and now_

_My universe will never be the same_

_I'm glad you came_

He sang along to the Wanted, sure that no one would be in here for at least two hours. Even though he could do it in the sanctuary of his own home, for some reason he never felt safe there. The curse was enough to give him the willies.

He knew it would come, and at first he hadn't dreaded it. But the minute news of it was spread far and wide, and the royals were put into a panic, he felt a sinking hole of dread, sadness, and regret in his heart.

Sadness because he wouldn't be able to spot his precious Puss, because he knew the Evil Queen would make that difficult for him. After all, she wanted everyone to be miserable, didn't she?

Regret because the last words they exchanged were words of spite, and fury. He could only hope that the savior would come soon and end this. He had so many privileges, he could do whatever he wanted. But nothing was able to fill the void the way that Puss could.

Her true name was Julia, but she preferred 'Puss'.

Charles paused in his dance, feeling as though he were being watched. Thinking of Julia always made him feel like that.

Like she was somehow able to see him, judging him and belittling him because he couldn't do anything about the curse. But then he always felt stupid. Surely Julia would know that there was nothing anyone could do?

Then he thought of Hatter. He was... A friend. While Charles truly liked to consider the Mad Hatter his best friend, he knew that Jefferson probably despised every thing he experienced in Wonderland.

Except Alice, of course. It was obvious to any dolt that Jefferson had fallen in love with the girl.

''Shouldn't you be working?'' If he had his tail, it would have bushed up in surprise. He turned around swiftly, moving to turn off his iPod. He smirked at the man with the limp and cane before him.

''Rumpelstiltskin. How lovely to see you.'' he purred, wishing he could reappear on top of the Dark One's head, just to spite him. Mr. Gold cast a gut-wrenching glare in his direction, and Charles smirked.

''I ought to beat you with my cane right now...'' Gold spat, moving closer to the former Cheshire.

''Ah, ah, ah! You really _must_ be more careful with the way you speak to me, Rump Roast!'' said Charles, cheerfully waggling his finger. Gold took a step back. ''Now, will you please explain just _why _you came toward me with the intention to beat me senseless?'' Charles demanded. Gold glared at him.

''Don't play stupid, Cheshire Cat. You _knew_. You knew and you didn't _tell _me!'' he snarled. Charles arched an eyebrow in return.

''Tell you _what _exactly, you old fool?'' he spat back. ''Don't make accusations without evidence.'' he warned gravely.

''The savior is here.''

Charles' eyes nearly dropped out of his skull. ''WHAT?!''

Gold stared at him for a moment, then fittingly declared, ''You didn't know.''

''You don't _say_?'' Charles said with a roll of his eyes.

''Watch it, cat.'' Gold replied, leaning on his cane for support.

''Rump Roast.'' Charles said, sticking out his tongue childishly. Gold couldn't help it, he supposed it was because that he _did _have his childish moments.

''Hair-ball hacker.'' he shot back.

'' Roast a la Rump.''

''...What?'' Gold's icy cold glare returned. ''What the hell was that?''

''Roast. A. La. _Rump._'' said the Cheshire smugly. Gold's left eye twitched.

''That's it.'' Charles stared at the shady pawnbroker's advance warily.

''What are you doing? Hey... NO. DROP THE- OW OW OW! THAT'S MY HEAD YOU OLD FOOL!''

~ # ~

''RUMPELSTILTSKIN!''

The furious yowl caught his ears, and Rumpelstiltskin desperately wished that he could disappear. Cheshire must have found out. And things would not go well.

''Is that... a cat? A talking cat?''

''Why does that surprise you?''

''Shut up.''

Rumpelstiltskin snorted with amusement at the brief exchange between his guards. His amusement faded when the Cheshire Cat himself appeared in front of the bars of his cage, looking absolutely furious. His fur was standing on edge, his ears were flattened and his tail lashed rapidly. If Cheshire were bigger, and if Rumpelstiltskin hadn't gained the title of the Dark One, the powerful imp would probably have wet his pants. But since he was indeed the Dark One, he merely stared in amusement.

''Dearest Cheshire, why so upset?'' he taunted, though this was probably the _last_ thing _anyone _in his situation should be doing.

''You know why I'm here...'' Cheshire hissed, not bothering to tack an insult onto the end of the statement.

Rumpelstiltskin grinned impishly, and nodded. ''You've found out, I assume?''

''You're damn right I have. How could you let her deal away her _tail_ of all things? Heartless beast!'' Cheshire spat, unsheathing his claws.

''All magic comes with a price, dearest Cheshire.''


End file.
